


Sorcerers and Sarcasm

by dracusfyre



Series: Blood and Iron [2]
Category: Dr. Strange - Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Crack Treated Seriously, Definitely lots of Loki snark, Dr Strange has sass too, Established Relationship, Fluff and Crack, M/M, Maybe with some Tony Snark(tm), Trolling, but like serious fluff and crack if that's a thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-03
Updated: 2016-12-21
Packaged: 2018-08-30 03:37:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 10,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8517052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dracusfyre/pseuds/dracusfyre
Summary: “Loki Odinson.  I am Dr. Stephen Strange.”





	1. Hello? Is It Me You're Looking For?

**Author's Note:**

> Loose spin-off based on the stinger in Dr. Strange. No spoilers, I think, but if this ruins the movie for someone let me know and I'll change my tags. Also, this is the newly minted Master of Mystic Arts Dr. Strange, not the Sorcerer Supreme, so he's not going to be the BAMF that I'm sure he is in the comics. Or will become later in MCU.

“Ok, explain it again, but this time without the insults.”

Loki sighed and released the illusion.  He had been trying to walk Stark through a 3D diagram of the Bifrost, hoping that it would lead to a breakthrough where written schematics had not.  “Are we even speaking the same language, Stark?”

“No, we aren’t.  We are trying to figure out how _magic_ relates to _science_ so we can build a fucking Bifrost without Asgardian technology.  I don’t think you realize how many words in your explanation weren’t even in English!”  Loki pressed fingers to his temples as Stark scowled down at his notes.   “As near as I can tell, the Asgardian language is like Icelandic had hate sex with a bastard child of Gaelic and Russian. Written in runes.” 

After a month of trying, Loki knew that trying to explain some of these concepts was like describing purple to a blind man.  If Loki had waited for Stark to come rescue him using a Bifrost he would have been in for a long wait.  “Come here.” Loki pulled Stark in and started massaging the back of his neck until he rested his head on Loki’s chest with a groan. Loki rested his chin on Stark’s head and tried to force his own tense muscles to relax. 

“Let’s take a break,” Stark said after a few minutes, his voice muffled against Loki’s tunic.  “I can’t look at this anymore.”

“Agreed.”  The walls of lab were starting to close around him unpleasantly.  He’d been inside for too long.  He pressed a kiss to Stark's temple and went to the roof, feeling like he could really breathe for the first time in hours.  For several long, pleasant minutes Loki closed his eyes and listened to the hum of the city around him, savoring the rush of the wind and the cool air, and strangled down the urge to destroy something.  

Gradually, however, a grating noise invaded his mind, like a fly buzzing right at the edge of his hearing.  With an aggravated sigh, he followed the noise to the living room, curious as to who would be invading Stark’s home in such a spectacularly obstreperous manner.  Moments later, the noise peaked and a blazing orange light cut a hole in space, throwing off sparks but no heat; through it Loki could see a dark wood shelves crowded with books and an overstuffed leather armchair.  Then a man stepped through, wearing a dark blue tunic that was gathered tightly at the waist by a number of wide leather belts, and behind him red cape moved slightly in a non-existent breeze.  The cape’s high collar framed an austere face with penetrating blue eyes, with silvering temples adding gravitas.  An attractive face, for a human, but Loki had a marked preference for warm brown eyes and an easy smile.

“Loki Odinson.  I am Dr. Stephen Strange,” the intruder said with a small bow.

Loki raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest.  “Charmed, I’m sure, but you’ve been misinformed.  There is no one here by that name.”

The man's eyebrows drew together and he tilted his head slightly.  “Er, Loki...of Asgard?” 

“That will do.” 

They studied at each other for a long minute, the portal buzzing loudly in Loki's head but quietly in his ears, before the man cleared his throat.  “I am here on behalf of the Masters of Mystic Arts to request that you leave Earth and never return.”

Loki stared for a moment then laughed, entertained by the man's audacity.  “No.”

“Okay.” He shrugged. “I didn’t expect it to work, but I thought I would try this first.”

“First? What is next? A strongly worded letter?”

“We have other means to enforce our judgments,” he said stiffly, irritated by Loki's amusement. He raised his chin and crossed his own arms over his chest defensively. "Do not think that because I came here alone that I do not have allies."

“You do?" Loki leaned to look around the man at the portal, noting that if there were indeed others that they weren't coming to this man's rescue anytime soon.  The man followed his gaze to the empty portal and suddenly looked uncomfortable, as if just now realizing that confronting Loki alone may have been a bit reckless.  Loki’s grin widened, wolfish, and he took a few steps closer. "Tell me, do you and your allies intend to _force_ me to leave Earth?”  

“If I must.  It is our responsibility to protect Earth from threats of a non-physical nature, and you are one of those threats.  A time-bomb.  A loose cannon.”  Dr. Strange cleared his throat again, clearly fighting the urge to step back.  He spread his hands wide, as if encouraging Loki to see reason.  “It would be a great weight off our minds if you would return to Asgard voluntarily.”

"I'm sure." Loki drummed his fingers on his arm, looking down his nose at this impudent human and idly wondering how he knew to find him here in Stark’s tower.  How he even knew of Loki in the first place. Either a secret society of sorcerers suddenly decided to take notice of him for no apparent reason, or someone was meddling in his affairs. “That is an imminently fair assessment, but I shan’t be leaving,” he said eventually.  “I have…interests here.”

“Very well.  We will meet again.” 

“Perhaps. I haven't decided yet.”  After a moment of hesitation, Dr. Strange bowed and stepped back through his portal, and the room thankfully grew quiet.  Loki made a mental note to modify the protections around Stark’s home, since apparently Earth has sorcerers of its own now.  Such as they were.


	2. Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

 “Loki, a Dr. Stephen Strange is here to see you,” JARVIS announced as Tony and Loki were halfway through an obscene amount of sushi and saki.  Tony raised his eyebrows in surprise and inhaled some saki instead of swallowing; after he could breathe without coughing, he looked over to see Loki was tapping his chopsticks against his plate with a thoughtful expression. 

“You may send him up,” Loki said after a moment, putting down his utensils and standing to greet his guest. 

“You have visitors now?” Tony croaked, taking another sip of water and reaching for the last bite of dragon roll. “Look at you, going out in the world and making new friends.  I’m so proud of you.”

"When you say _friend_ -"

“How are you preventing me from opening a portal here?” A man demanded as soon as he stepped out of the elevator.  Tony stared, dragon roll halfway to his mouth, surprised despite himself at his outlandish appearance.  He looked like an extra from a low budget fantasy film.  He even had a  _cape._  Even Loki didn't wear a cape anymore. 

“Good afternoon, Strange.  Might I introduce you to Anthony Stark?” Loki gestured.  The man flicked his eyes over to Tony for a moment then dismissed him as uninteresting and pointed a finger at Loki.  Tony straightened, stung by the dismissal.

“ _Doctor_ Strange. I tried three times to open a portal here and the magic just – " he threw up his hands angrily “-vanishes.  That should be impossible.”

“There are more things in heaven and Earth, Mr. Strange,” Loki said, lips curving faintly.  Tony pulled his eyes away from this Strange person to give Loki a narrow-eyed look.  “Was that the purpose of your visit?”

The man scowled for another moment before visibly choking down whatever else he wanted to say.  He took a deep breath and started gesturing, green fire drawing lines in the air to follow his movements.   Tony watched, sushi forgotten as the pattern in the air grew more elaborate until the man shoved it towards Loki with a dramatic gesture. 

Loki, meanwhile, held a hand up over his eyes and let the spell wash over him, the light dissipating harmlessly.  He waited for a moment, as if wondering if something else was going to happen, then brushed a few lingering sparks off his shoulder.   “An exorcism spell. Interesting choice. First, it requires my true name, of which Loki is only a part.  Second, that particular variation is for extra-dimensional beings, and I can assure you, I am no demon.”

“Extra-dimensional?” The man frowned.  His eyes grew distant, as if trying to remember something, before they focused on Loki again. “The book says otherworldly.  You _are_ from another world.”

“Check your translation.”      

“I read it in the original Sanskrit,” he said testily, tapping his foot and resting his fists on his hips, as if his spell would suddenly work if only Loki would agree that it was the right one to use.  Tony glanced between them, waiting for Loki to send this arrogant dick to Jotunheim or turn him into a newt or something. 

But Loki only smiled mildly and sat back down, waving a hand at the seat beside him. “Then check your dictionary.  Would you care to stay for saki?”

He snorted and turned on his heel to leave. Loki picked up his chopsticks and reached for a piece of ginger.

“What in the hell was that all about?” Tony demanded as the elevator doors closed.  “And what was up with that man's cape?”


	3. Stay In Your Lane, Boy

Two weeks later, Stephen Strange reached Stark Tower just as the sun was setting. Aggravatingly, despite two weeks of research he still didn’t know why he couldn’t open a portal into the tower.  Last time, he arrived at the front door.  This time the closest he could come was six blocks, so by the time he pushed his way through New York commuters and endured the ridiculous security screening at Stark Tower, the sun had already slid past the horizon.  Once upstairs, he found Loki and Tony sitting outside watching the city light up as the sky grew dark. 

“You again,” Tony said sourly as he approached, and took a sip of what looked like whiskey.  They had apparently dragged a couch outside, judging from the conspicuous empty spot in the living room, and Tony was resting with his feet in Loki’s lap.  Dr. Strange glanced down to where Loki’s long fingers were stroking light circles on Tony’s ankle. _Interests here, indeed,_ he thought.

“Good evening, Strange,” Loki said, making no effort to get up.  If anything he relaxed farther into the couch, eyes heavy-lidded and sleepy.  

“ _Doctor_ Strange,” Stephen corrected, hands tightening into fists.  Loki stifled a yawn.  "Master Strange, if saying doctor is too much for you."

“Care for a drink?” Loki continued as if he hadn’t been interrupted.  “We are celebrating a thaumato-scientific breakthrough.”

Stephen ignored the invitation and started building his spell, frowning with concentration.  Tony was watching with interest, but Loki only spared it a brief look.  His lack of concern was demoralizing, but Stephen finished and released the spell anyway, not really surprised when it had no more effect than the last one. 

“Good effort,” Loki said as the spell's light faded, his tone somewhere between encouraging and condescending.  Stephen resisted the urge to kick the couch, particularly when he heard Tony's smothered laugh.  

“That should have worked,” he growled, shoulders tightening. "I _know_ that's the right spell." He'd spent the last month searching the sanctuary's library.  It would appear that he was going to have to swallow his pride and go back to Wong for help. Dammit.

Loki lifted a shoulder carelessly as he took a sip of his drink. 

“Hey, why don’t your spells look like that?” Tony asked, nudging Loki with his foot.  “All sparkly lights and shit.”

“Because I am a sorcerer, not a showman,” Loki answered loftily, then proceeded to ignore Tony as he tried and failed to disguise his laughter at that outrageous statement with a fit of coughing.  

Stephen resisted the urge to throw something at the both of them and stalked away with what remained of his dignity.  The cape tugged him towards the railing, and when he realized why he felt even more like an idiot for taking the elevator up in the first place.  So he vaulted over the railing, and smiled with satisfaction when he heard Anthony's startled "what the fuck?" before the sound of wind drowned it out. 


	4. I Could Lose My Mind In This Heat

“Sir, Dr. Stephen Strange is here to see Loki.  Shall I let him in?”

“Sure, JARVIS, I’d like to have a talk with this guy.”  Tony put down the arc wielder and took off his gloves and mask. "Wait, let him in, not let him up? Where is he?"

He came up the stairs and saw Dr. Strange standing on the balcony, knocking at the door.  He rolled his eyes and opened the door just enough to stick his head outside. “Loki’s not here,” he said.  “You here to try to send him back to Asgard again?”

“Yes.” Strange was wearing much the same clothes as he was the last time, even though the city was sweltering under an unseasonable heat wave.  It had to be 90 degrees out there on that balcony, and he didn't have a single bead of sweat. Pretentious bastard.

With a sigh, he stepped back to allow Strange to come inside. “Well, I guess you’re out of luck today, Strange.” He pulled his tank top away from his skin, trying to cool off some of his own sweat as he walked over to the bar where he'd made a pot of coffee that morning.  

“ _Doctor_ Strange,” the man said with aggravation, following him across the room.  “I know you heard me last time. Look, Mr. Stark –"

“ _Doctor_ Stark,” Tony corrected, pouring himself a cup of coffee.  “If you’re going to be pedantic about one MD, I’ll be pedantic about four PhDs.”

“For the record, _Dr_. Stark, I also have a PhD.”

"In what? Being an asshole?"

"I'm sure you would know, I hear you pioneered the program at MIT," Strange said.  "Where is Loki, anyway? You’re not protecting him, are you?”

Tony laughed.  “What, from you? No, I think he can protect himself.  He’s been holding up ok so far.”  He took a sip of the coffee. "Ugh.  Gross."  He studied the cup for a moment, then shrugged and took another sip. "I don’t remember where he is, someplace that ends in ‘heim.’  I could call him, though,” he said, pulling his phone out of his pocket. Unlocking the screen, he smiled when saw that Loki had sent him a photo of what looked like a dirty, scaly moose running right at the camera, antlers lowered.   _Hunting b_ _ilgesnipe_ , the text said.

“If you would.”  Strange paused and tilted his head curiously.  “Loki has a cell phone that works when he’s not on Earth?”

“Yep.” Tony hit the speed dial and put his phone on speaker.

“Does it work in other dimensions?”  

“Hell if I know.  I can’t even get him to explain how he got it to work on other planets. Hey, Loki!”

“Yes, Stark?”  Loki’s voice sounded far away but was perfectly audible.  Something roared briefly in the background and then went silent suspiciously fast.

“Doctor Strange is here to try out another spell on you.”

“One moment,” Loki said, a smile in his voice.  Dr. Strange scowled down at the phone. 

“There you go,” Tony said, putting his phone away.  He leaned against the counter and studied the other man.  “You know, if you ever successfully force him from Earth, you’re going to have to figure out how to make him stay gone or he is going to burn you and your little club of magicians to the ground.”

“He could try,” Strange said stiffly, crossing his arms over his chest.  “There are many of us, and in the end he is only one man.”

Tony raised his eyebrows.  “One god, but whatever.  You do you.  Be careful poking the bear.”

“I'll be fine,” he said, jaw tightening. "I've faced worse than him."

Tony shuddered to think how that could possibly be true.  He leaned against the counter and tried, and failed, to force himself to take another sip of his terrible coffee. “Nice goatee, by the way.”

The unexpected compliment made the lines around Strange's eyes relax.  “Thank you.  It’s a new look for me.”  He ran a hand self-consciously over his chin.

“Suits you.  Would you like something to drink while we wait?” 

Strange hesitated for a moment then shrugged. “Do you have tea?”  He touched the clasp of his cape and slung it over his shoulders.  Instead of draping it over the couch or the counter, however, he just let it go. It hovered in place beside him, fluttering slightly in the still air of Tony’s apartment as Dr. Strange took a seat at the bar.

“Uh…” Tony stared at the cape for a moment before answering.  “Um, yeah, I think I have some chamomile around here somewhere.”  As he handed a steaming cup to Strange, he poked the cape surreptitiously. He jumped as it slapped his hand and moved away.

“Good morning, Strange,” Loki said, appearing behind Tony.  He felt a hand stroke lightly down his back and he almost took a sip of his coffee to hide his smile before he caught himself.  Turning, he saw that Loki had a spear strapped to his back, part of the wooden shaft stained black with blood, and a long knife, more like a short sword, on his hip.  He was dressed in all black leather with bronze vambraces and greaves and his hair was braided tightly away from his face. There was a smear of blood high on his cheek and his green eyes were alight with good humor. 

Tony would have said something about the smudge, but he was too busy trying not to swallow his tongue. Because leather.

Across the counter, Strange seemed unfazed, by either the leather or the weapons.  He set his tea down and slid off his chair, hands already weaving lines of light in the air. Loki studied him as he wove a spell, then dispelled it with a gesture before it was completed.  Strange gaped as the careful lines he had been drawing shivered and faded.   “That removes poison and infection from a wound,” Loki said cheerfully.  “Not even close.”

Strange sighed in exasperation.  “It was worth a shot.  There doesn’t seem to be a generic removal spell, much less one for evicting unwanted...guests.”

Loki smiled evilly. “On the contrary.  Until next time.”  Strange vanished.  The cape beat itself against the door outside until Tony opened it, and then it vanished over the railing.

"Where did you send him?"

"Home," Loki said, unbuckling the sword from his hip and leaning the spear against the wall.  

"Sir, Dr. Strange is calling."

"Thanks, JARVIS." Tony hit the button on his phone to let the call through and put it on speaker.  “Tony here.”

“Tell Loki I tried that spell last time and it didn’t work!” 

Loki set his elbows on the bar and leaned over the phone. “You didn’t properly define the parameters of the spell, Strange.”

“I keep telling you, it’s Doct- what do you mean, parameters? What parameters?”

“It was a pleasure to see you. Farewell.” With a satisfied smile, Loki hung up on Dr. Strange’s incoherent sputtering and removed his vambraces.

Tony pointed a finger at him accusingly. “You’re trolling him.”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,” Loki said as he slid into the seat Strange had vacated. Loki plucked Tony's mug from his hands and took a sip, grimacing.  Tony rolled his eyes and started a fresh pot.

“Don't play that 'I'm not from your world, I don't understand your strange ways' bullshit with me, I know better than that.” Tony poured out the abandoned cup of tea as the coffee maker hissed and burbled. “You’re telling me you’re not being a dick on purpose?”

“I have been studying sorcery for over a thousand years.  If this man has been studying it for more than two or three, I will eat my helm.  And yet he thinks he can banish me and prevent me from returning here?  Someone has given this child a stick and he thinks himself a warrior.  He is fortunate that I do not teach him a harsher lesson in humility.”  Though the words were sharp there was still a gleam of mischief in his eyes as he tucked his fingers inside the waist of Tony's greasy shop jeans and tugged him closer.  Apparently Loki noticed his reaction to the leather.

As he let himself be pulled, he smiled against Loki's lips at the mental image of Loki letting a puppy in a red cape gnaw at his ankle.


	5. About To Drop You Like Cain Dropped Abel

The day Stephen came over wearing the Eye of Agamoto, Loki was on his feet in an instant, loose linen clothes disappearing in a blaze of gold and replaced with armor. 

“If you attempt to use that stone on me,” he warned, voice low and dangerous, “you will rue the day my name ever fell upon your ears.”  Green and gold light started coiling around his body, coalescing near his hands, and the look in his eyes was suddenly cold and terribly alien.  Within seconds the air was thick and heavy with power, making Stephen's teeth ache and his tongue taste like he had licked a battery. 

He set his jaw and refused to back away, even as he crossed his arms to hide the fact that his hands were shaking.  Now he understood what Tony meant by poking the bear.  “Very well.  Using the Eye does seem like overkill, anyway.”

Loki eyed him for a moment, lips tight. Stephen let out a deep breath in relief as Loki eventually let his gathered power dissipate. “That’s what you call it? The Eye?”

“This is the Eye of Agamoto, the most powerful relic held by the Masters of the Mystic Arts.”  Dr. Strange tilted up the amulet to look at it before dropping it back down on his chest. “Not the most original name, I have to admit, since it was created by a man named Agamoto.”

“Discovered by, perhaps, but not created,” Loki said, smiling slightly.  He came closer to examine the intricate carvings surrounding the gem.  “Though I know it by an even less original name – the time gem. Guard it carefully.  Empires have been toppled for less.”

“Yes, yes, Infinity Stones, I know.”

"No, I don't think you do. Else you would not have come here wearing it like some trinket you found in a drawer."  

"I didn't-" Stephen started and then Loki put a finger between his eyes and pushed lightly and suddenly he was staggering backwards, thankfully landing on a couch and not the floor. "Jesus  _Christ!"_  He put his hands to his head as if he could physically hold back the flood of images and information Loki had just shoved into his brain. 

"Relax. Focus on breathing." 

Stephen winced at the sound of Loki's voice, but did his best to obey.  After ten deep breaths, the pain and the overwhelming rush of memories that didn't belong to him eased. Stephen waited for his heart to stop pounding before he opened his eyes.

" _Now_ you know," Loki said with satisfaction.

Stephen looked back down at the Eye, suddenly viscerally aware that he was wearing a mystical equivalent of a fifty megaton nuclear bomb around his neck and only had the smallest idea of how to operate it. "I'm going to-"

"Please do."

"Would you-"

"Of course."  Stark Tower vanished and was replaced by the entrance of Kamar-Taj.  Once inside, he removed the Eye and set it down on its pedestal with relief.   Wiping his slightly sweaty palms on his pants, he called out, "Wong, could I see all the books you have on the Infinity Stones, especially this one?"


	6. The Silence In Between

“Hey, Strange,” Tony said when he heard the balcony door open, sitting up from where he had been laying on the couch, staring at the ceiling. He eyed the level of whiskey left in the bottle and poured himself another.  “Drink?”

“No, I’m f- is that a Macallan?” Stephen sat down heavily in the armchair next to him with a barely audible sigh.

“Yep.  Older than both of us with a six-figure price tag.”  He took a sip and his head fell back onto the sofa cushions as he let the warmth bleed through his veins. 

“Then yes, absolutely.  I haven’t had Macallan since I celebrated making my first million after paying off med school.”

“Million, like with an ‘m’? That’s cute,” Tony said with a smile.  “Got a glass?” But Stephen was already ahead of him.  They sat in silence for a few long minutes, giving the whiskey the respect it deserved before Tony broke the silence.  “So what’s your story, Strange?”

“For God’s sake, I quit.  Just call me Stephen.  What do you mean, my story?”

“I googled you.  First class neurosurgeon, tragic accident, then poof-” Tony gestured with his glass, careful not to spill anything, “you’re trying to exorcise my lo-Loki from Earth. That story.”

“Ah. Well.” Stephen sat forward and spread his hands.  For the first time Tony noticed the tremor and that there seemed to be more scar tissue than skin. “The short story is that I was searching for a cure, and found a calling. After the accident, my medical career was over.  I spent every dime I had trying to get back what I lost, and so when someone suggested magic…well, when you hit rock bottom, any way out seems like a good idea. Even the stupid ones.”

Tony grunted and ran a hand over his face.  “Yeah.”  Shit, he’d hit rock bottom so many times he felt like he was on an existential pogo stick.  Suddenly a wave of superstitious fear swept through him so fast he felt dizzy with it.  Things were going really well right now – for the first time since he’d hit puberty, he wasn’t fucking something up and disappointing someone.  His parents. Rhodey. Pepper. _Steve_ , for crying out loud.

“Don’t make Loki leave,” he blurted out, and winced.  “I mean –“

“I don’t think I can,” Stephen said, making a face.  “I know when I’m outmatched,” he added, which sounded like a lie if Tony’d ever heard one.  “Where is he now?”

“I don’t know.  I haven’t been able to reach him for a day or so.”

“Worried?”

“No, of course not.” _Yes, absolutely._ “It happens sometimes.” _This is the first time since he got thrown in prison and then died._   Tony took a long swallow and stared at the ceiling again.

“So how…” Stephen started and then paused.  “I googled you, too. When did you and Loki…” He made a vague gesture in the air, trailing off as Tony gave him a flat stare.

“I’m letting you drink my extremely expensive whiskey, not giving you a free pass to pry into my l- my private life.  For that you’ll have to buy me dinner, and I’m warning you I’m a very, very expensive date.”

“I’m not trying to get into your pants, Tony.” From the look on his face, Stephen knew he’d made a mistake as soon as he said the words.

The stare turned into a smirk.  “Good idea.  There’s some pretty stiff comp-“

Stephen groaned loudly, cutting off the end of Tony’s sentence.  “If it wasn’t for the Macallan I’d be exorcising you,” he muttered, taking another sip from the glass he held cradled in his crooked fingers.

The silence that followed was surprisingly companionable. Tony watched the lines of Stephen’s face relax and wondered if he was lonely.  If Loki was anything to go by, being a sorcerer was a pretty solitary occupation.  Tony was drumming his fingers on his glass in thought when he heard his phone chime. _I’ll be there soon_ , the text read. He went limp in relief. 

“I believe that’s my cue,” Stephen said with a small smile, draining the last of his glass as he stood.  “Please let him know that I will see him again another time?”

“I will this time, but I’m sending you his number.  I’m not his social secretary, start arranging your frenemy dates on your own time.” Tony scratched the back of his neck and forced himself to look at Stephen. “Thanks for…coming by.”

Stephen bowed. “My pleasure.”

 


	7. Lookin' Like Pimps

“ _Stain remover_?” Loki said incredulously.  Stephen’s latest attempt had turned all of his clothing white, sparing only the metal and leather.  White was really not Loki’s color.  Tony crawled over the back of the couch so Loki couldn't see him laughing so hard he couldn't breathe.

“I’m sorry, did I not define the parameters correctly?” Stephen asked, forehead creasing in concern as he took a picture of Loki with his phone. 

“You know, you don’t need an excuse to visit, Stephen,” Tony called out from his hiding spot, still wheezing.  “At this rate, I should just give you a key card.”

Loki growled at Stephen’s sunny smile and he surreptitiously slid his sling ring onto his hand. 

 ***

On a oil rig in the middle of the North Sea, three men saw a bizarrely dressed figure suddenly appear, laughing like a loon, and then disappear through a ring of fire. They stared at each other for a long, disbelieving moment and then silently agreed to never mention the event to anyone.

 


	8. Time You Made a Stand

When Stephen’s phone started the harsh tones and buzzing of an emergency alert, it took him a few minutes to dig through the pile of books on his desk to find it, wincing as the klaxon-like noise grew louder.  He swiped the screen to finally silence it.  _Unidentified hostiles reported in the vicinity of Stark Tower/Grand Central Station. All civilians evacuate the area until further notice. This is not a drill._   He reflexively glanced out his window but of course he didn’t see anything; he was on the other side of Manhattan.  He hesitated for a moment and then slid his sling ring on, trying, as always, to open a portal directly into Stark Tower so that he wouldn’t have to walk or fly the rest of the way to the building while trying to ignore all the people staring at him.  

To his surprise, this time it actually worked, and he was able to step directly into Tony’s empty living room.  He walked closer to the wall of windows and saw Tony in the Iron Man suit flying circles around a fleet of blocky, oversized robots.  It took three passes before Stephen recognized the song Tony was blasting from his speakers: AC/DC, _Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap_.

He shook his head, smiling, as he pulled out his phone to send Loki a text.  _I see robots and Tony. Where are you?_ He hesitated before adding, _Can I help?_

 _Roof_ , was the only reply he got.  After too many minutes wandering around he finally figured out how to find the roof access and saw Loki watching the fight, standing with his arms crossed as Tony led the robots on a merry dance across the sky.

“Evil robots?” He asked as he approached.  

“Apparently.”  Loki didn’t even spare him a glance, eyes narrowed as he followed Tony’s red and gold suit.

“He’s by himself?”  Though Tony had destroyed two robots since he’d gotten here, there were still at least eight more zooming around.  As they watched, he took a hit in the leg that had him tumbling before he righted himself and hit the offending robot with a blast that sent it spinning towards the tower.  Stephen flinched, but instead of crashing through walls and windows it slammed against a barrier that flashed green as it impacted.  

“Stark is more than capable of dealing with this,” Loki said with a careless lift of a shoulder.  “In any event, when offered help, he said, and I quote, ‘the day I need help destroying someone else’s second rate robots is the day they bury me.’”  Another robot, this time with a gaping hole in its chest, fell against the barrier above them and bounced off.  Stephen leaned over the edge of the roof, watching as the pieces of robot tumbled towards the ground.  Around the tenth floor the pieces vanished.  Squinting, Stephen could see that there was a surprising lack of collateral damage on and around the tower.  Granted, most of it was still a construction zone because of the last battle that raged around here, but there were no gaping holes in the buildings, no screaming civilians. There was a hell of a lot of traffic on the roads leading away from here, though, and a lot of flashing lights heading towards them.

“What are you doing with the destroyed robots?”

“Stark’s laboratory.” 

Stephen turned his attention to the shield protecting the tower.  To his sight, it was an interlocking grid of incomprehensible symbols, some familiar and some not.  Just standing here, they were barely visible and he was easily able to pass his hand through it, but as soon as something impacted it from the outside it flared and the symbols changed.   A one-way shield?  

“How did you create this?” Stephen finally asked, getting lost in trying to unravel the complex patterns. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“You can see it?” 

Stephen scowled at the surprised tone in Loki’s voice.  “I may not have studied sorcery for thousands of years, but I have eyes.  Yes, I can see it.”

Loki finally looked away from the fight.  There were only four robots left, anyway, and it looked like Tony was dragging this out on purpose.  “Show me what you call a shield.”

With an internal sigh, Stephen manifested the shield that he’d been taught.  Loki traced a finger along the symbols that lined the outer edge, ignoring the intricate design that gyrated slowly in the center.  Only someone as observant as Stephen, watching closely, would have seen Loki’s eyes soften before the look was gone again. 

Loki flicked a finger against the shield and it shattered into gold sparks.  “Well made, but rudimentary.  I could…” He trailed off, a thoughtful look on his face.

“You could what?” Stephen pressed. “Teach me?”

“It is not outside the realm of possibility.  If you have something to offer me in return.”

“Like what?”

Loki was interrupted before he could answer by Tony landing on the gravel beside them, opening his faceplate and grinning widely.  “How’s it going, Dumbledore?”  At Stephen’s blank look, Tony’s face fell. “Dammit, another one. I’m never going to have anyone understand my movie references ever again, am I?” He was shaking his head and saw Loki rolling his eyes, and brightened again.  “Oh yeah, I made you watch one of those movies. Heh.  Snape.  Anyway, think you could send that pile down there to my lab?” He pointed over the edge of the roof at the stack of still-sparking robot debris that he’d left in one of the construction zones.   Loki waved a hand and it disappeared.

“So what was all of this about?” Stephen asked as Tony took his helmet off and stepped out of the suit, scrubbing a hand through his sweaty hair.  He seemed exhilarated by the fight, practically bouncing on his toes.  

“I don’t know yet,” he said. “They attacked about an hour ago, trying to break into the tower.  They bounced off Loki’s shield like flies around a bug zapper before I decided to suit up and take care of them.  Hopefully something in the technology will tell me where they come from, because the only other guy I know that makes robots is still in jail.”

Stephen listened to Tony's ramblings politely, mostly waiting for him to stop talking long enough for him to ask Loki about his offer.  But as they all went back inside Loki looked increasingly preoccupied by his thoughts until Stephen glanced around at one point and noticed that he was gone. He left Tony happily elbow deep in robot parts and spent the rest of the evening wondering what on Earth he could offer to a two-thousand year old sorcerer with the powers of a God in return for magic lessons. 


	9. Party At A Rich Dude's House

It was a Friday night and Stephen found himself pacing restlessly through the sanctuary and realized that he was bored.  Scrolling through his contact list, he realized that he hadn’t spoken to most of the people in his phone for years, and the ones who would actually return his call were almost certainly working.   He tapped his phone on his palm for a moment, then with a sigh gave in and texted Tony.  _Busy?_

_Nah. Come on by. In the lab_

To his surprise, he was once again able to step right into Tony’s living room.  Not so much to his surprise, when he went down the stairs Loki was sitting at one of Stark’s work tables, writing something in a leather-bound journal while Tony was studying some kind of 3-D schematic hologram.  There was still a pile of partially disassembled robots in the corner that was taller than Stephen.  “Hello, Loki. This is the second time I’ve been able to open a portal right into the tower. What changed?”

“Stark invited you.”

"That’s it?”

Loki gave him a sideways glance with a raised brow.  “It’s his home.  He implied you were to come and go as you please.”

“Of course.  Mi casa is su casa. Within reason, don’t start sleeping on my couch or anything,” Tony said, distracted.  He spun the hologram onto its side and made a disgruntled noise.  He reached for his coffee, noticed it was empty, and threw the cup over his shoulder in disgust.   Loki looked up with a scowl at the sound of it shattering on the concrete floor, and then the cup reassembled itself on the table just out of Tony’s reach.  He went back to his writing, muttering something about Thor, and Tony winked at Stephen.   “So what brings you here tonight?”

Stephen shrugged.  “Nothing in particular.  Bored and tired of staring at books. Find out anything interesting about the robots?"

"Not really.  All the serial numbers I could find are all from factories in former Soviet states and even Natasha couldn't get anything useful on them. A lot of the parts weren't marked at all, which means that they were probably privately produced; you certainly won't find any serial numbers on any of my suits because I make everything in house.  So I told SHIELD everything I know and I figured I'd let them do their thing. I know Fury likes to feel needed." 

Stephen walked over to the pile.  This close, he could see that these robots were disturbingly lifelike. "Creepy," he muttered, and jumped when Stark clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"I know, right? Very Terminator.  Whoever this builder is, I'm not a fan of his aesthetic."

"Or of his whole "attacking your home" thing."

"Yeah that too."  Tony nudged a robot leg back towards the pile.  "So.  Bored, huh? I could stand to get out of the lab.  Hey JARVIS, what's happening in the city tonight?"

 "Sir, Mrs. Rockefeller is having her annual charity ball; there is a boxing match at Madison Square Garden; the MOMA is opening a new exhibit-"

"Which one is Pepper going to?" Tony interrupted. 

"Mrs. Potts RSVPed to Mrs. Rockefeller's event."

"Feel like drinking overpriced champagne surrounded by people with more money than sense?" Tony looked at his watch and then eyed Stephen's clothes. "Assuming that you have something to wear that doesn't look like you escaped from a Dungeons and Dragons convention."

Which is how Stephen ended up on top of Rockefeller Tower, looking out over a stunning view of the city drinking a whiskey that, while not Macallan, still probably cost more than what most people made in a month.  He wasn't so good of a person that he could say it didn't feel good to be back here again, socializing with millionaires and billionaires as if he still had a right to be here with all of these rich assholes.  At least he still had his finest suit from back in the day, even if it was tight in the shoulders and loose in the waist.  Tony had even convinced Loki to come, who was drawing curious stares in what should have been an unremarkable black on black suit.  Somehow while just standing talking to Tony Loki managed to convey the impression that he was better than everyone in the room, and in this room of old and new money that sort of attitude caught people's attention.  Of course, Tony wasn't helping by introducing him as "visiting royalty, who preferred to remain anonymous. Yes, your highness is the correct way to address him."

"Tony!" All three men turned to see a tall, beautiful strawberry blonde walking towards them.  She was trying to look stern but her eyes were smiling.  "I heard that you were over here holding court for a foreign dignitary.  I should have known it was just you two making trouble." 

"Pepper!" Tony pulled her into a hug and she leaned over so he could give her a loud smack on the cheek.  "We were hoping to see you here. It's been too long."

"Loki," she greeted, turning to him with one of Tony's arms still around her waist. Stephen rolled his eyes when Loki lifted her hand to his mouth. "And this is...?"

"Doctor Stephen Strange," he offered, bowing over her hand. 

"A pleasure to meet you," she said with smile, and the charm of this lady was that it seemed like she meant it.  She turned back to Tony, taking both his hands in hers and searching his face. "I'm glad to see you, Tony.  You seem to be doing well." 

"I am, Pep.  I'm doing really well.  Everything is...good.  I'm even making new friends!" Tony said, gesturing towards Stephen.  

Pepper leaned down and gave him a kiss on both cheeks. "I'm so happy for you," she said quietly.  Stephen drained his glass and looked away, remembering when he'd had someone to look at him like that.  He forced himself to set the empty glass down instead of throwing it. 

"Would you like to dance? Are they doing that here?"

"I'd love to, Tony, but first I was hoping I could borrow Loki for a moment.  There's a particularly nasty man here that I suspect is conducting some corporate espionage against us, and I'd like to verify that before I destroy his company for no reason," she said pleasantly. "Do you mind?"

"My pleasure." Loki offered her his arm and she led him away.

"Are you having fun?" Tony asked, finishing his own whiskey and gesturing with his glass to one of the waiters stationed discretely along the edge of the room.

Stephen shrugged and leaned against a table.  "It's nice to get out, but its not really my scene anymore."

Tony accepted a glass from the waiter and handed him a twenty. "So have you and Loki negotiated a cease-fire or something? I haven't seen you try any new spells lately."

"I did find a new one.  I hadn't planned on using yet, but since I’m here...”  He traced out a small spell and sent it towards Loki's retreating back with a flick of his fingers.  

Loki’s head shot up as soon as it washed over him. “ _Pest removal_?” He said, his outraged disbelief clear from across the observation deck. Suddenly Stephen was standing hip deep in stagnant, smelly swamp water before he could even put his hand on his sling ring. 

“Worth it,” he said, wincing as he felt his toes squelching in his dress shoes.  


	10. Don't Fret, Precious, I'm Here

Then came the day where Stephen had to make the call that he’d hoped he’d never have to make.  As a doctor, he'd had to soldier through plenty of situations that had been agonizingly distressful. Making mistakes.  Losing patients.  The final embarrassing downward spiral after the car accident, and starting over as the rankest amateur here at Kamar-Taj.  So this really shouldn't have been as hard as it was.

He paced and his fingers hesitated over his phone until Wong looked like he was about to commit violence. "I'm doing it, I'm doing it," he muttered resentfully, and hit dial.

"Good afternoon, Strange."

“Loki, I need your help,” he said with an irritated sigh, rubbing his eyes with one hand.  He moved out of the way as an acolyte swept up debris around him.

“Why?” 

“The Eye has been stolen.”

Loki was standing in front of him before he finished the sentence.  Everyone in the sanctum but Stephen and Wong took an uneasy step back at his sudden appearance. “When?”

“About an hour ago.”

“Where is it?”

“If I knew that I wouldn’t have called you,” Stephen snapped, shoulders tightening defensively.  “I know it’s not on Earth or in any dimension that can be reached from Earth.”

“Who?”

“One of our acolytes, a man named Malik.”

Loki glanced around him, as if just now noticing the chaotic state of the library.  His eyes lingered briefly on the shelves before he turned back to Stephen. “I should be able to find him.  If he’s anything like you, he won’t know how to conceal himself. Did you know him well?”

“No, of course not.  But Wong probably knew him as well as anybody, he is the librarian here at Kamar-Taj.”  Stephen gestured to Wong, who was studying Loki intently.  

When Loki turned to look at him, he raised a brow as if surprised by what he saw in Wong but he made no comment.  He only summoned his staff and said, "Concentrate on what you know of this man.  Not just what he looks like, but how he acts, what he says and how he says it.  Focus on that and only that,” he ordered.   The man nodded once and closed his eyes without arguing.

“What is that?”  The blue gem in Loki's staff looked odd.  The energy it was giving off appeared distorted, like he was looking at a light that was under running water.

Loki held up a finger to Strange, eyes closed and brow furrowed.  The light of the staff grew brighter and the pressure in the air increased until it felt like Stephen was going to get a migraine just standing there. His pulse was pounding in his temples before he finally felt the pressure of magic fade, and with it, the pain in his head.  He swallowed a couple of times, trying to get his ears to pop.

Opening his eyes, Wong answered Strange’s question. “Mind gem.  One of the Infinity Stones, ” he said, pointing to the staff, as the blaze of blue light faded.  

“Correct,” Loki said approvingly.  “The man went to Knowhere.”  The staff with the mind gem disappeared and was replaced with the Tesseract. 

“Space gem. Another Infinity Stone,” Wong whispered to Strange as Loki opened a portal, edges crawling with blue-black lighting.

"I knew that one," Stephen hissed, and then Loki was propelling Strange forward with a hand between his shoulder blades. Once through, Strange shrugged off his hand with a huff and tried to take a look around without staring.  They were in a dim, busy bar filled with aliens, some humanoid, many not; the smell and noise were atrocious, and there was an unnerving number of ankle-high animals running around on the floor. Stephen put on his best poker face and tried to keep up with Loki.

They didn’t have to look very long to find the fugitive sorcerer.   He was one of only a handful of humans in the whole rank establishment, and he was clearly regretting the life choices that brought him here.  Every time the crowd surrounding a nearby gaming table cheered, he flinched and tried to crawl deeper into his coat.  With a growl Loki cornered the man and lifted him by his throat, choking off a terrified whimper.

“Where is the Eye?” He demanded, slamming him against the wall.  

Stephen quickly started rummaging through his pockets and the bag the man had slung over his shoulder. “Not here,” he reported, unsurprised. He eyed the man speculatively. 

Loki turned his attention back to the man, who had been hitting his wrist in a futile effort to break his grip. “There is no outcome in this situation where you live,” Loki said, shaking him a little to get him to stop moving. “You can only control how fast you die.  Make me wait too long, and I will hurt you, then go into your head and get the information for myself.  Do you understand?

“You’ll never-“ The man started, only to be interrupted when Stephen waved the amulet in front of their faces.

“Found it,” he said smugly. “Really?  The mirror dimension was the best place you thought to hide it?  Might as well have been your sock drawer.”

Loki snapped the man’s neck and let the body fall back into the seat.   “Well done,” he said, and drew a dagger.

“What are you- Loki, stop!” Stephen grabbed his wrist, stopping him from cutting off the man’s other hand.  “What in the hell are you doing?”

“Sending a message,” Loki said shortly, removing Stephen’s hand from his arm.  “Someone instigated this theft, and that person needs to know that any future attempts to steal the time gem will be answered swiftly and harshly.” 

Stephen took a few steps back, wanting to protest but feeling really out of his depth as a walking tree almost knocked him over. “Alright, I think you made your point,” Strange finally said a few minutes later, distaste marking his features.  Loki's face was expressionless as he cleaned the blade and sent it away.   He put his palm on the synthetic wood table and after a second there was a curl of smoke and a sharp smell, and when he lifted his hand a crooked L-shaped rune scarred the surface.

“Make your mark,” Loki ordered, pointing to the table.

“What?”

“If you and your brethren are truly committing yourselves to the defense of Earth, this is where it starts,” he said impatiently.  “They may not know who you are, but they will know what you have done and will tread carefully.”

Dr. Strange’s lips tightened, but after a moment of thought he traced a circle with four intersecting lines on the table.  “It’s done.  Now what?”

“Now, you return to Earth and do a better job securing the infinity stone.  I will stay here and find out who is responsible for stealing from me.”

“Stealing from _you_?” Strange said to an empty room in Kamar-Taj.  “God _dammit_ I’m going to figure out how he does that.” He turned the Eye over in his hands, inspecting it for any damage, and wondered what they could do to protect it from future theft.  He was probably going to have to ask Loki for help again, dammit.  After a few minutes, Wong came in and handed him a book.

Stephen ran his hand over the cover, grimacing at the dust that coated his fingers.   “What’s this?”

“Ancient history,” Wong said over his shoulder as he walked out the door.


	11. I Feel Bad For You, Son

_Did you find out who wanted the Eye?_   Loki pulled his phone out of a hidden pocket of spacetime when he felt the text message come in.

 _Yes_ , he typed out and sent the phone away again. He drummed his fingers on the desk and looked around the Collector’s office, noticing that this room had been spared the destruction that marked the main floor. Tivan watched him sullenly, fingers cradling a glass of purple liquor.

“So I take it that possessing one of the Infinity Gems was insufficient for you,” Loki said finally when Tivan started fidgeting.  “I gift you one, and you are so overwhelmed with gratitude that you decide to steal another?”

“What’s the point of having only one, when there are six? _You_ have _two_ ,” he pointed out, running a hand over the fur draping his shoulders. “Besides, the time gem was on Earth, not Asgard.”

“You know very well that Midgard is under the protection of Asgard, Tivan.  Stealing from it is the same as stealing from Asgard.” He caught the Collector’s eye. “Stealing from _me._ I will not abide being robbed.”

“So I saw.”  He waved a hand airily. “It was worth a try.  I was so close to having the power gem, but…”

“But you somehow managed to destroy your collection instead,” Loki finished for him. “Is the Aether still secure?”

“Yes.  For now, at any rate.  Until Thanos discovers where it is.”

“Where is the power gem now?”

Tivan gave a put-upon sigh. “Xandar.”

“Hmm. Nova Corps?”

“Nova Corps.”

Loki thought some more, turning over that information in his mind. “And the soul gem?”

Tivan shrugged. “I haven’t heard anything.”

“Not that you would tell me if you had.” Loki pressed his fingers to the desktop and stood.  “If Thanos comes for you, I will come to your aid if you ask.  Not to stand with you, understand, but to stand against Thanos.  Unless, of course, you manage to lose the Aether, in which case no one will be able to identify your corpse.”

Tivan saluted him sarcastically with his glass, but Loki was already gone.


	12. You'll Never Be Great Without Taking a Chance

Tony wandered out of the bedroom in search of coffee and stopped in his tracks. “Uh, Loki, I think you’ve got mail,” he called over his shoulder, keeping an eye on the envelope floating at eye level in the middle of the living room.  He heard the rustle of sheets as Loki got up.

“Fates preserve me from the grandiose pretentions of this man,” Loki muttered as he plucked the envelope out of the air and opened it.  Tony tsked and shook his head, hoping that Loki never found out about the time he built an army of tiny drones to deliver the invitations to his 30thbirthday party.  “Strange has invited us to his home for dinner. Two days hence.”  He let go of the card and its envelope and they both continued to hover in place as he brushed by Tony to get back into bed.

“As a thank you for helping him a few days ago?” Tony flicked the card with his finger and it spun crazily.

“No doubt.” Loki’s voice sounded muffled and Tony heard the door to the bedroom close.  After being gone for almost two days, he’d woken Tony up by climbing into bed early this morning, sighing with relief as his skin touched the sheets.  

“Add it to the calendar please, JARVIS.  This should be interesting.”

 

Tony wasn’t disappointed.  Stephen’s home was a throwback to 1800s era mansions, with flocked wallpaper, intricately carved crown molding, and inlaid real wood floors, not to mention the sweeping staircase that was perfect for dramatic entrances.  As Stephen gave them a tour, Tony was completely unsurprised to note that the inside was larger than the modest outside would have suggested. One entire floor was given over to various artifacts in solid glass display cases; none of them were labeled, but from what Tony could tell only about half of them were magic and the other half were just really old. Tony eventually stopped asking questions when Stephen mostly shrugged at his inquiries. “I’m still looking for the instruction manual,” he said eventually as Tony had to be dragged away from a set of magical doors. 

He was studying what looked to be a still working version of the Antikythera mechanism when he heard Loki chuckle behind him. Turning, he saw that Loki was gesturing to a short sword mounted on the wall. “This is Thor’s first sword,” he said, “lost on one of our first journeys to Midgard. This sword is the reason why Mjolnir is spelled to always return to Thor’s hand.”

Stephen came up to stand beside them while Tony ran a finger down the blade.  It made the hair on his arm rise, and when he stepped away his finger was tingling. “Does it do anything special?”

“Well, in the right hands it will call down lightning.  It was Thor’s, after all.” 

After that Stephen led them downstairs to a dining room, where they had extremely authentic Nepalese food, probably straight from Kathmandu judging from the portal Stephen walked through to get it. 

While they were eating, Tony idly asked how Stephen came to take up residence in the house if he didn’t know anything about it, which led to the entire story of Dormamu and how Stephen defeated him by being a pain in the ass.

“Now _that_ would have been the time to use the exorcism spell,” Loki commented.  He, of course, was still eating steadily even as Stephen and Tony were pushing their plates away. The empty plates vanished and were replaced with coffee. Well, Tony's was; judging from the unhealthy green tint to the water in Stephen's cup he was drinking tea.

“Really? That spell would have been strong enough?”  Stephen cradled the cup between his palms as if grateful for the heat.

“A spell is only as strong as its caster, unless you are drawing on a separate power source.” Loki frowned and leaned back, eyes distant as he considered.  “You would have had to kill the fanatics first.  With what you had at your disposal, you performed admirably.  I’m impressed, it was very…creative.” 

Stephen snorted.  “’Performed admirably.’ I saved the world.”

“Welcome to the club,” Tony said, raising his glass in a salute.  “I’ll get you one of the t-shirts.  Loki doesn't get one because he's one of the things I saved the Earth from.”

When Loki finally waved his plate away, Stephen drained his cup and seemed ready to get down to business. “As you might have guessed, I invited you here to thank you for your help in retrieving the time gem.  If you would be so kind as to join me in the library, I have a small token of appreciation to give you.”

As they all pushed away from the table and stood, Tony didn’t need to be a mind-reader to know that this was his cue. “I’ll leave you two to it.  Pepper sent me some homework and I’ve had my quota of listening to you two bicker about magic for one night.”

Stephen frowned.  "I'm sorry, I hope I didn't make you feel unwelcome-"

“No, it's not a big deal, really.  Mostly I came so I could see where you live.  Now I just need a ride home,” he said, poking Loki in the side.  

“Of course.” Loki cradled his jaw in his palm and ran his thumb over Tony’s cheekbone, making him shiver.  He felt a ghost of a kiss at his temple and then he was in his living room at Stark Tower, clothes smelling faintly of incense. He checked the clock on his phone.  He would give Loki 45 minutes and then he was going to introduce him to the fine art of sexting.

 ***

Loki followed Strange up two flights of stairs to his library and took a seat that had clearly been cleared just for this visit; the stack of books that had probably been sitting here was instead leaning against the heavy desk that dominated the room. Stephen went around to the other side and pulled a book out of a drawer, pulling his chair closer to the desk.

“So I heard an interesting story from Wong,” Strange began, rubbing a thumb over the faded gilt lettering on the spine of the book.   “Regarding the history of sorcery on Earth.  Would you like to hear it?” Loki raised an eyebrow and gestured for him to continue.  “Thousands of years ago, gods walked the Earth with mortals.  A great king taught humans what he knew of weapons and warfare, and a wise queen taught them what she knew of sorcery. But a great cold came over the land, and when it left, it took the gods with them.  In the aftermath and devastation, the warriors turned on the sorcerers, convinced that they had offended the gods and caused them to leave.  The sorcerers fled to all corners of the Earth, taking the knowledge they had gained from the wise queen with them.  Many of them eventually ended up in Kamar-Taj, and began to rebuild in secret. Since then, it has been one of our missions to rediscover knowledge that was lost in the exodus.”  He slid the book across the table to Loki. “I already made a copy of this book for our library.  I would like for you to have this one,” Strange offered, trying not to think about what he’d had to promise to Wong to pry the book, one of the oldest in Kamar-Taj’s collection, out of his hands. “I understand it was written by the wise queen Frigga herself.”

Loki picked up the book and sensed the echo of Frigga’s preservation spell, cast on this book before he was born.   Inside, her precise handwriting marched across the page and a pang of grief and homesickness struck, so sharp he almost flinched from the pain of it.   He paged through the work, an intermediate primer on magic theory, until he could speak again. “Yes, this is her work.” He cleared his throat and the book vanished. “I never knew it existed. Thank you.”

Strange inclined his head and his fingers traced nervous circles on the desk before he forced them to stop. “You can have access to all of the tomes in our libraries, including the archives of Kamar-Taj, if you will teach me what you know.” When Loki raised his eyebrow Strange rolled his eyes.  " _Some_ of what you know."

"Very well.  Where do we start?"

Strange crossed his arms and sat back in his chair. "Would you _please_ explain what you meant by 'parameters'?" 

 

Later, Loki was in the middle of diagramming the essential structure of a spell when he felt a text arrive.  Pulling out his phone, he went very still when he opened the text.

“Is everything ok?” Stephen asked after a moment.

He looked up, distracted, and the phone vanished.  “Yes, there’s just something I need to take care of.” He glanced at the illusion of the desconstructed spell, currently a messy tangle of symbols and patterns.  “I’ll leave this here for you to study, and we will pick up here next time.”

“When?” Stephen said, but Loki was already gone.  With a sigh he sat down and studied the illusion hovering above his desk.  It was complex, sure, but for God’s sake it wasn’t _brain surgery._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok this little guy (meant to be a one-page one shot, ha!) is finished. The true sequel to Blood and Iron is in the works, but thanks to a devious commenter my imagination has been simmering regarding another story with these guys. We will see which gets posted first.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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